Description

Teff Grass is an annual summer grass that germinates fast, handles high heat, and converts soil moisture into dense, leafy, high-quality forage in as little as 6 to 8 weeks. With fine stems and a quick turn-around, it’s ideal for summer grazing, high-protein hay, or silaging. Teff Grass, a low input crop, thrives in summer areas of limited moisture – a feature of its exceptional drought tolerance – it is fairly drought tolerant however it also thrives on irrigated paddocks.

A fine firm seedbed, soil temperature of 16 degrees, and rolling after planting is critical for optimal establishment of Teff Grass. Due to it’s small seed size Teff cannot be planted too deep – sow 5-10mm deep.

Teff Grass fine stems are ideal for harvesting. Harvest should occur in early boot stage and prior to seed head appearance to ensure optimal forage quality and regrowth in subsequent cuts. It’s important to harvest Teff Grass in the leafy vegetative stage as cuts shouldn’t be too heavy. Teff Grass days to first harvest is approximately 50 days, followed by subsequent 35 days (subject to moisture and nutrition).

Here is how you can leverage Teff Grass across different farm set-ups this season:

The Effluent Paddock Performer

Teff is a heavy feeder that thrives on nitrogen and moisture, making it one of the best choices for effluent paddocks.

• The Benefit: Rapid nutrient uptake prevents nitrogen leaching while producing massive bulk.

• Strategy: Sow after soil temperatures reach 16°C+. Apply effluent after establishment to boost leaf growth and maximize cuts.

High-Return Irrigation

If you have access to pivot or travelling irrigation, Teff delivers high water-use efficiency compared to traditional brassicas or summer cereals.

• The Benefit: Fast regrowth allows for multiple quick grazing rotations or bulk cuts over the hottest months.

• Strategy: Maintain shallow seed placement (no deeper than 5mm) and keep the surface moist until germination, which usually takes just 3 to 5 days in warm soils.

Opportunistic Dryland Planting

Don’t have irrigation? You can still catch a late spring or summer storm.

• The Benefit: Deep, fibrous root systems allow Teff to grab hold fast and utilize profile moisture before it evaporates.

• Strategy: Direct-drill into warm, moist soil immediately following a rainfall event. Because it matures so quickly, it can capitalize on short moisture windows better than most summer crops.